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Thank you so much for the reassurance. I've just been so scared because the dr said i should only be hoding about 1/4 c of anything in my stomach right now. Which I am but its like I get whoozy after eating my lunch which is usually strained soup and then I'm actually feeling hungry an hour later. Any suggestions if I should drink my protein supplements as my meals and then do strained soup as my fluid intake as well because I need to get more fluid in too, im only urinating about three times a day (tmi) but I'm a nurse and I know that's not good.

I am not post menopause but I am 41 and never had kids. The surgery has played heck with my cycle. I am now going about every 23-25 days which never happened before. I also started RIGHT after surgery and it was the worst one of my life. It went on forever. (Sorry if TMI) My GYN said that yes, we do release a lot of estrogen when we lose weight. You become super fertile and your periods can go wacko (I was also wacko for a while from the hormones). She said it affects everyone differently. While I can't speak to post-menopause, it seems that your situation may not be so strange based on what she told me. I would call your Dr and maybe reach out to your old GYN if you can.

The MOM is non-cramping. I had to take it and let me tell you it works within a couple of hours. I waited to take it and had a very painful BM....I know TMI but I wish I would have taken it sooner like I was told to.

Ha ha, in this forum, I don't think there is any such thing as gross or "TMI". So happy things are moving again for you.

HEy this may be a bit TMI but I was wondering if this is normal or if i should call my doctor I have an appointment in 3 days. I've had bowel movement since day 4 after surgery today is day 6 (i'm on a clear liquids diet so not even protein shakes just water, jello, broth) i figured nothing solid would come out since all i'm getting is liquids but is it normal that i go to the bathroom at least twice a day and it's all diarrhea? (i was like this before i went two or three times a day with no problems) I'm concerned i'm not retaining any liquids, I'm not feeling sick, my stomach doesn't hurt, I feel pretty normal except for this. I'm sorry this is TMI

so im on the preop diet, its my 3rd day, and since the first day i had stomach aches and diarrhea since the first day as well(TMI i know). every time i have a protein shake(i need to have it 4 times a day) i get that feeling like i have to vomitt(TMI) it back up. and today i started to get a heach ache. my mom told me i need more water and i read in somebody else's thread that someone wrote that they needed to up their water. anybody else go through that? and is water all i need to fix it? thanks (:

Ok...so TMI I know but...I am just starting into my first menstrual cycle and I am feeling kinda funny. I was banded 6/19 and tomorrow is my first day of mushies (yeah). I'm feeling a little light headed and dizzy today...could this be that I am just really hungry or is this normal with your cycle after being banded.

Hey Gang, I too will be part of the December club. I will have it done on the 19th. Things are moving so fast. I just got approved yesterday and have to start fasting next tuesday the 5th! The fasting is not as bad as i thought. Lean meat, veggies, fruits and Protein shakes. Only 600-800 calories a day but at least it will be small amounts of real food and not straight shakes for 2 weeks which is what I thought "fasting" meant... I don't know what I'm going to tell people. Do all of you tell everyone that asks or do you just tell some and not others? I kind of wanted to wait to make sure everything goes well before I tell co-workers and other non family/close friends what is going on. Some guy I worked with said he stays trim by taking the stairs and being disciplined. I thought if he asked I would tell him that I had started taking the stairs - and its working:)! Is there somewhere on this site that people have shared their experiences in the hospital. I've heard bits and pieces but I am curious as to each step... is that TMI?

I'm now POPD4 and feeling fatigued, but overall pretty good. I've had no problems keeping protein shakes down 2 oz. at a time, but sipping on anything throughout the day is difficult. I just don't feel like putting anything in my mouth. I'm happy to say I finally had a BM last night and today (sorry if TMI, but I was worried about constipation with sore abdominal muscles!!!). Unlike others, it's actually helped me to look up recipes for the future. Doctor has me on water and shakes only for two weeks, but looking and planning on future "meals" is helping me through this phase.

Just to the right of my port (which is just above my belly button), about 3 inches toward my right hip I noticed swelling today. The entire tummy area has been a little swollen since surgery (9 days ago) but it looks like the rest of my stomach is almost back to normal except this one area. It's about the size of a decent sized fist. When I showered this evening I noticed it felt kind of hard too. I have a doc visit tomorrow but I know I'm going to spend the rest of the night wondering if a surgical towel was left in me, or if my port tubing got undone somehow and tangled itself around something, or God knows what my pea brain may think up next. Everything is working normally from food intake to bowels (though come to think of it I only had a little bowel movement this morning and nothing since). TMI!!! Other than that I'm feeling pretty good.

i had the same problem i went from liquids to soft foods and gained 2.5 lbs i was so upset when i went to the doctors for my 2 week appointments i was almost in tears because i had gained he told me that it was normal and that (TMI) because i was on liquids for so long that my bowls were empty (you are filling them back up) and you have less water in you because you get water from food too i wasn't gaining fat that my body was adjusting that was the best answer he was so nice and that week i lost the 2.5lbs plus 3 more so don't worry.

So last night around 9-10 I started getting really dizzy (worse when I was laying down). I went to Tacoma General Emergency thinking maybe my blood had gotten too thin or something. They started with my blood pressure (which a few times dropped to 99/60) and they were watching my pulse (120-135) They ran some tests (CBC, HCG levels, Urinalisis). My HCG level cam back at almost 13,000. My urine showed a UTI. They pumped me full of fluids and gave me antibiotics and antinausea meds. They sent me home around 5 am. Around 10 am I got up to pee...I now had a brown discharge (TMI I know...kinda like old period blood) and bad lower back pain. They decided to do an ultrasound and a pelvic exam. So The ultrasound took quite a while and the tech said ok I'll be right back...here watch this, 111. I was like what! lol So she turned the monitor towards me and on it was a looped video of my baby's heartbeat (for the first time) and it was beating at 111 beats per minute! All I could do was smile. I got back to my room and the doctor came in to do the pelvic. He said baby looks good and there is no blood or anything around the baby. So he did the pelvic and took some swabs of the discharge and told me we would know if there was an infection in a few days...he said he didn't think so because there wasn't pain in the area, just the back. So I am home. I am not allowed to do any physical activity or sex...lol. So I am in bed relaxing under a nice fan...drinkin ice water :smile2: It felt so so good to see a heartbeat! Anyways, I just wanted to update you all

I am allowed more calories I just can't seem to get them in. I can have as many protein shakes as I want, but I am getting sick of chicken and turkey already and stomach tuna without mayo and relish. I'll have some egg beaters today and try to up my protein shakes. Unfortunately, now diarrhea too (sorry, TMI).

Just want to let you know that in the post-op class I had today, they said this is normal. And, I've had the same thing and so did the lady sitting next to me. Mine is slowly getting more solid. Sorry, more TMI!!! :tongue:

Thanks for all of the tips! Theyre much appreciated! My doctor will not allow me to have a laxative because he says it causes rebound constipation. So I can have benefiber and such... but today ive been able to survive on just tylenol so Im hoping that will help my bowels....TMI: I am having small bowel movements, but theyre not solid at all. I guess because Im only consuming liquids? but it still feels like theres something in there.... My port site just feels like the fat is pulling down on it or something when I lay on my side...my butt is so sore from laying on my freaking back! Im ready to sleep on my stomach again lol... I havent had a big issue with hunger...but I am having problems with seeing other people eat and wanting it....even though I dont feel hungry. I still have cravings and everything like that... How do yall incorporate Protein in your diet? I was supposed to start protein on the 4th day postop but cannot do the shakes that I have....I bought something called "Any Whey" and am going to start mixing it with my carnation instant Breakfast. One more question and then Im done I promise! lol What Vitamins do yall take? I have chewable but theyre huge and disgusting...so I bought gummy vitamins but Im worried I shouldnt do those since theyre gummy and sticky? once again sorry for all of the questions!

On Thanksgiving, when I got on the scale, I was half-pound short of my 50 lb goal. I was thrilled. On Thanksgiving, I ate a LITTLE of everything. Took a 15 minute break over the main course to PB from the turkey. TMI. Fortunately, I sent the leftover dessert home with a friend, but have been eating leftover ever since, and have had turkey a couple of times since, with disastrous results each time. Tonight I spent over 1.5 hrs sliming. The dogs enjoyed the rest of the turkey. I learned my lesson. I put on 3.5 lbs since Thanksgiving. Hoping its Water weight, and plan to start exercising again tomorrow to get it off quick.

I'm worn out and still have another bottle of nasty mag citrate to drink in a bit. This is the pits. I hope I drop a couple of lbs by tomorrow after all this. lol.

Hi guys, I need your help. I was banded on 01/15. I have been doing great so far. Even with no fills yet, I've had great self control and lost 13lbs post op so far. Here's the problem... Heads up!! I know this is TMI but I don't know who to ask, so I apologize. All of a sudden, last night I had terrible stomach cramps which lead to diarrhea. I hadn't had any stomach issues since originally banded. Today when I woke up I had some serious nausea. But never threw up. I've had stomach cramps and the runs all day long. So bad that I couldn't even work today. I still never vomited but my stomach cramps and nausea are unbearable. The pains are very similar to the pains I had when first banded. I know that was the recovery period so I'm not sure what is causing it now. Since this problem has lasted about 24 hours now, I'm starting to worry there is something wrong. What are the signs or slippage or erosion? I've never felt this way before so it makes me think it is related to the band. Any thoughts?

I had surgery Friday and have felt pretty good. In the evening I was starting to get some pain on the insides, in all the places I would expect with the exception of this pain i have on the lower left side of my abdomen, right inside from my hip bone is. I feel asleep for a few hours and work up and the pain in that area has increased. It feels sore and very tender, its like a dull ache which increases at times when I am walking around, or if I sit up. I just cant imagine why the pain here is prominent when it's about 6 inches over and 3 inches down from my belly button incision. It's on the opposite side of where my port is as well - at least from what the doc told me at my consult. Just wondering if this is normal or should concern me at all? I don't have any gas. I do have the left shoulder pain and have burped a few times but haven't felt any bloating or gas "below" sorry for the tmi!

I think it may depend on if you are normally constipated or not (how long it takes to work). Sorry TMI coming... I've always been one to be on the loose side and go 3+ times a day. I am NEVER constipated. If anything, I have the reverse problem of having to go too much. I was scared to death to take the magnesium citrate knowing how my system already is. And, sure enough, it gave me horrible horrible diarrhea starting 15 minutes after taking it and for the rest of the day and night. I was seriously dehydrated by the time I checked into the hospital. My BP was super low and I sucked up an IV bag in record time as soon as they hooked me up. I continued to have diarrhea for the entire next week after surgery. Gosh, I hate that magnesium citrate stuff. Vile vile liquid! Anyway, your plan to call the doctor in the morning if it doesn't work by then is a good one. I can't imagine it not working, though, unless you got a bad batch. Oh, one thing you might try is drinking lots of Water. The way I understand it, magnesium citrate works by sucking water out of your system and forcing it into your bowels. So, if you are dehydrated, maybe you don't have enough water in your system to force into your bowels? Just an idea.

I had surgery on Tuesday, July 7, and I'm a teacher, so luckily, I'm off for the summer. However, I'm in graduate school, and I had to give a presentation on Saturday. I made it to class fine, but by 1:00 I was DONE! I had to leave early (classes are from 8-3), and when I got home, I crashed! After I woke up, I had my first BM since the night after surgery, and I've felt much better since that. So, my point to this TMI is that if you are functioning normally otherwise, you will probably be okay. If I had to go back to class today, I'm sure I could make it the entire time. Each person is different though, so just listen to your body and don't be harder on yourself than you have to be.:thumbdown:

I am actually surprised I didn't post my update sooner like I said I would! I have met many great people on here, so I am sure they might be wondering how I am doing...:sad: Well...to all those opposed to going to Mexico.. I had a WONDERFUL experience with Dr. Ortiz, the facility and staff! I couldnt have been more comfortable! The facility was immaculate! I could have eaten of the floor.. Dt. Ortiz met with me and my husband before I went into surgery and went over everything & answered any questions either one of us had. great guy! I was in and out in 30 minutes..that was including prep and closing me up! Had pretty bad nausea and was past out for a couple hours. But they had me up and walking! After I 'came to" from being a little loopy I felt MUCH better than I anticipated! I spent most of my time on the phone calling family and friends (b/c we were allowed to call anywhere in the US from the room)..so i took advantage of it! Don't remember much of the conversations though...lol I met some GREAT people! (5 others were there getting the surgery as well). I went back to the hotel the next day and did plenty of walking around with my hubby). ....so being home...GAS PAINS!!! UUGHHHH!!! horrible! I never got the pains in my shoulder, but they were SO bad in my chest and then moved into my back! my belly was very bloated and swollen! I pretty much rested and walked... my recovery was not as "speedy" as others.. i had pretty bad port pain too...ended up taking a few more days off from work...which I totally needed! Each day got a tad better... I know its a little TMI...but I never thought burping and farting would feel SOO relieving!! :mad: LOL! Mentally..some days were better than others...but I am sure you all (who have had been on liquids know)...I thought I was gonna cry if I drank another cup of soup!! I just wanted FOOOOOD!! mashed potatoes never tasted so good! LOL I was on Clear Liquids for 1 week, full liquids weeks 2-3 and started Protein drinks week 3 too.... well today is day 22 and it will probably be a while before I actually want a cup of soup!! :biggrin: I was not filled at all at surgery and my first fill is August 12th. Just trying to be careful until then since I really dont have restriction. However, since I am still swollen inside and healing, I get pretty full off of a little bit. I have only lost 9 pds or so....but I'll take it!! I would jump for joy at a 1 pound loss when I used to be on Weight Watchers...so when I had lost 8-9 pounds in just under 3 weeks, I was happy. Plus my doc and many on here even say not to stress about the scale until after the first fill, bc thats when you feel restriction...hopefully. So that's pretty much so far! Erick (my hubby) has been great every step of the way!! I thank God for him everyday! :sad::wub:

My guess would be, hopefully, dietary issues. Not to ask TMI, but are you gassy or constipated or the opposite? Have you tried gas-x? I hope this is the simple answer! I really doubt its the band itself because it is at the top of your stomache. Feel better soon and let us know how you made out with your tests/doctors!

I spent years using food as a comfort source. I had three children, lost the weight and then immediately put it back on plus some. I tried diets. They never worked for longer than a month or two and I always rebounded back. When I found myself forcing myself to vomit I knew that I needed to do something different. I decided in October 2013 to do the surgery (I had been researching for over a year). My husband's cousin had gotten the surgery with great success so I set up my appointments and got scheduled to do the surgery November 5th 2013. Mine wasn't a case of many health problems or inability to do physical things. I got up to 285 pounds with a bmi of 43.31. I still ran around with my kids, went swimming, climbed around on rocks, rode bikes. I had to force myself to do it though. My problems were mental health and emotional. I could not do ANYTHING without feeling embarrassed. I want to dress up... ha ha ha. I can't look pretty. I go to ride the bike and spend the whole time thinking that everyone is disgusted by the fat lady on the bike. I have problems with anxiety and depression... It was time. I had no doubts whatsoever. I felt terrible about spending the money because it was self pay and spending $18,000 on myself is just selfish right? I was so wrong. I'll get to that later. A week before surgery I go on the sugar free diet. Vitamins, Protein shakes, sugar free popsicles, Jello and drinks. It was a tough week. I had one bad day, Halloween. I ate a lot of candy. But even with that day I lost 13 pounds that week. The day of surgery comes. They are doing the sleeve and repairing a hiatal hernia. I'm fine with my husband but then they wheel me back to the pre-op room and I sit there waiting for my turn ALONE. THAT's when it all hits me. Oh crap, am I doing the right thing? Could I lose the weight on my own? Is it too much money? OMG THEY'RE GOING TO CUT OFF MOST OF MY STOMACH! I managed to sift through the craziness and calm myself down. I needed this. I deserved this. Surgery comes and goes I wake up in the recovery room. They immediately start shoving cups in my face. Lovely little one ounce cups. They have about a hundred of them all stacked up. Only 8 have Water. My mission. To drink them. But the nausea! HOW can I drink them?!? They have these lovely contraptions strapped to my calves, they aren't uncomfortable, kind of comforting actually, consistently hugging my calves and they keep my legs warm. The only problem is that I can't get them off because I am SO out of it! I can barely do anything but lay curled up in the fetal position in absolute misery. I have them move the table around so I can reach the water and I convince myself I can do this. I drink a cup. Wow... I didn't realize I could feel WORSE! I drink the nasty potassium crap they give me and that does it. I am going to throw up. I call the nurse, tell them I need the things off my legs I'm going to throw up. They don't make it in time. Now those of you who have had children know a certain amount of bladder control is lost. When I puke, I pee. That simple. So they come in the room and I am crying because it hurts to throw up and I am dry heaving because I really didn't have much in my stomach and it can't get the stuff out that it wants out. And of course I'm peeing at the same time! It's not fun walking to and from the bathroom or standing up but it's more nausea than pain. And the IV ugh I hate those things. After then next time that they didn't get there to get the things off my legs they just left them off and I would just go sit on the toilet with a puke cup in hand whenever I tried to drink anything. The surgeon was very impressed with how much I drank. I don't think he realized most of it came right back up! Getting discharged the next day was a huge relief. I was ready to get away from the never ending cups and demands that I puke drink. The drive home was not fun with the constant stop and go. Keep in mind it wasn't pain. I actually don't remember much of any pain. It was the nausea! I should have expected it. My stomach has always been finicky. Car sickness, throwing up 8-10 times a day when pregnant, motion sickness. Should have seen it coming. I got home and slept. I was literally hiding up in my room for about 5 days. Didn't even bother going downstairs. I slept, peed, tried to drink but eventually just figured out I should just sit in the shower and try to drink in there. I would sit on the floor of the shower and forced down my liquid pain med (I liked it because it made me sleep REALLY well) and drink some water. Then I would continue to sit there as I heaved. I was supposed to take my vitamins immediately. I couldn't stomach the chewables and my prescription Vitamin was huge. I would get into my stomach and I would feel like I had something stuck there and be even sicker. It took me the next 2 months to get up to my 3 vitamins a day. Meanwhile my stomach HATED me. Everything made me sick. Plain water made me miserable but the taste of anything sugar free was too sweet. I spent the next month living off of a maximum of 40 calories a day. I couldn't get all my vitamins in, couldn't stomach Protein Shakes and gagged on the foods I was allowed. I tried having different things but well, I gagged on most everything, or threw up. I was able to function (for short periods of time) after the first week. I would get kids off to school, cuddle with my 2 year old, pick kids up from school and then went to bed as soon as hubby got home. I would sleep until morning. I didn't get back to making it a full day until probably 3 months later. Even then I would crash hard on the weekends and often spent the whole day in bed. My husband was an angel through all of this and didn't complain once. Even when I stopped crashing on the weekends regularly I would randomly have a day I just couldn't do it. Meanwhile I STUNK. If you haven't read posts about stinking... you WILL stink at some point. My skin oozed a bitter nasty smell. No matter how much a washed, what I washed wish, how much lotion I rubbed on I STUNK to high heaven. Apparently it's a good thing, a sign that you are burning fat but it was miserable and made me feel super gross. A lot of foods tasted different for me. I would have cravings and try to eat it and be really disappointed because it didn't taste the way I remembered it. And pretty much anything I put in would make me sick. I discovered string cheese and apple juice. They were all I wanted to eat, the only things that tasted good and didn't make me sick. Let me tell you, it makes it REALLY hard to cook dinner for your family when you know all you're going to do is reach in the fridge for a string cheese! I lost 50 pounds in the first 2 months. After that it slowed down a lot. I lost 10 pounds a month, I lost 5 pounds. Now I tend to drop unexpectedly 4 or 5 pounds, go back up 2 and float, go back down to the "lowest" sit there for a while and then it will start over again. In case that was confusing.... 9/2 I was 181. by 9/5 I was 177.5, 9/19 I'm 179 and in the next week I will probably be back down to the 177.5. I don't really watch my food a lot. Well let me rephrase that. I have accepted there are MANY foods that don't make me feel good so I don't eat them. I mostly eat string cheese and drink sugar free koolaid. I take my vitamins but protein shakes still don't work for me. It was emotionally hard for a while. I couldn't eat anything, much less the food I WANTED to eat. Food was my comfort and it was no longer available. It took a little adjusting but watching the weight change helped a lot. I hoped that losing all the weight would help with my back. It did, for a while. It quickly came back with a vengeance and hurts in different ways. I started going to a chiropractor and getting massage therapy and that helps a ton but does not fix everything. A lot of people would read this and feel overwhelmed and discouraged and think it was one of the horror stories. NOT SO. This surgery was absolutely the best decision I have ever made. It is so much more than losing weight. It is being able to run and play and be stupid and silly with my children without feeling like everyone is disgusted with me. It's being able to have my husband actually reach around my body and not be squished well beyond comfort. It's being able to twist my legs up however I want in a restaurant booth. It's feeling beautiful again and not doubting it like I did when I was younger. Honestly I feel more beautiful now than EVER before. It's being able to dress cute again and buy the clothes I like. It's not being embarrassed for being me. It is freedom. I have lost 106 pounds in 10 months and 12 days, I am 19 pounds from my goal but I'm not sure it's really my goal anymore. I went from a tight size 20 pants to a size 12. I can now wear medium men's shirts and large women's, I used to be in a 2xl men's. My boobies for the ladies wondering. I was a 42J and am now a 38G. They are very flat, long and wide. I lost inches in places I didn't think I had inches to lose. I wish I could give you details but I lost my paper My joints don't cause me any pain now days except for my hips but it is VERY rare. My next step it plastics. My boobs are causing a lot of neck pain so I'm hoping my insurance will cover them. I'm planning to get a reduction and then I'm going to be going in for a circumfrential lift (LBL). I have a lot of excess skin and fat in my stomach and a lot of skin on my hips. Honestly if I can take care of those things then I don't feel the need to lose even one more pound. I don't know that I remembered to include everything but hopefully this helps SOMEONE out there.

For the past couple days I've noticed i've not had any difficulty with any food I've tried and I haven't pushed it to the limit but I notice I'm eating a little more than usual. I'm not sure if what I'm eating is a slider (boneless wings from walmart deli, egg salad, cereal....sorry I can't remember all the things I had this weekend off hand) I know this will be tmi but usually when aunt "flo" is here I'm tighter and nothing likes to go down, well....she's in town and I have no issues. I even notice I can drink right before and after I eat if I want. I'm scared. It's been 8 months since my surgery and 2 months since my last fill. What are the odds of the tubing coming apart or something? I just started working out at the gym and now I've got myself really worried. I can always make an appt with my doc, but I wanna give it a lil more time and get some feedback. Thanks guys!!